Pietersen calls for 'no-ball' review

Kevin Pietersen sees "no excuse" for batsmen still being given out to no-balls in the technological era of the decision review system.

Pietersen was bowled by a delivery from Morne Morkel in the first innings of England's Centurion draw against South Africa, only to discover on returning to the dressing room that it should have been called a front-foot no-ball.

"I think something needs to be done about it," he said on Wednesday morning at England's team hotel, where they have begun preparations for the second Test of a four-match series at Kingsmead on Boxing Day. "If you're going to use the referral system the way we're using it now, it should go all the way. You can win and lose Test matches on no-balls."

The only way such a decision could be overturned, under the International Cricket Council's current system, would be for the non-striking batsman to spot the overstep and ask for a third-umpire review.

The same anomaly was highlighted by England coach Andy Flower on Tuesday and Pietersen claims international players the world over are united in the belief the situation needs addressing.

He added: "For a (non-striking) batsman to be standing and watching whether the bowler is bowling a no-ball and then concentrating on the other end doesn't seem good to me.

"If you're going to use the system we've got, you may as well use it properly. We all believe the same thing - the South Africans, the Australians, everybody."

The situation is bound to arise again soon and Pietersen fears the stakes may be even higher next time.

He cites as an example the last-wicket stand between Graham Onions and Paul Collingwood, which salvaged a draw in the first Test and therefore means they arrive still level at what was once Pietersen's own home ground.

"You could lose a batsman," he said. "If Graham Onions had lost his wicket to a no-ball that wasn't (ruled) a no-ball in the last over of a Test match and we'd lost the Test series, with the technology we have nowadays, there's no excuse for it."